Falling for the Don

Chapter 3

Tabitha’s POV

I couldn’t remember the last time I had felt so on edge in someone’s presence. Fabrizio stood close enough that I could feel the subtle heat radiating from him, a warmth that seemed at odds with the cold intensity in his eyes. I kept stealing glances at him, still unsure how we had ended up in this strange dance. He was a mystery—one that I wasn’t sure I was ready to unravel, but something about him drew me in.

“You don’t come here often, do you?” he asked, his voice cutting through the steady thrum of music around us.

I shook my head, biting the inside of my cheek. “No, not really. It’s not exactly my scene.”

He raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into the faintest hint of a smile. “I wouldn’t have pegged you for it.”

The way he said it, so matter-of-fact, made my heart skip. I had no idea what he thought he had figured out about me, but his confidence was unnerving. There was something unsettlingly attractive about the way he spoke—like he knew more than he was saying, as if I were the puzzle and he already had all the pieces.

“And what about you?” I asked, trying to shift the focus away from myself. “Do you come here often?”

He chuckled softly, the sound low and almost dangerous. “Not really. I usually stay far from places like this.”

His answer was vague, leaving me to wonder what places he did frequent. Expensive restaurants? High-end clubs? Or was it somewhere less glamorous—somewhere darker? I had no idea, and he wasn’t offering any more information.

I should’ve been wary, but instead, I found myself wanting to know more. “So what brought you here tonight?”

His dark eyes met mine, holding them for a moment before he answered. “I suppose I was in the mood for something different.”

Something in the way he said it made my stomach flutter. I knew I should be careful, that I shouldn’t get too close to someone like him. Everything about him screamed danger—his calm confidence, the way he seemed to control every situation without lifting a finger. But there was something magnetic about him, something that made me want to ignore every warning bell going off in my head.

“I think I’ll get some air,” I said, needing a moment to clear my thoughts. The atmosphere in the club was suffocating, and I wasn’t sure if it was the crowded room or the way Fabrizio’s gaze lingered on me that was making it hard to breathe.

He didn’t say anything, just watched me as I turned toward the exit, his expression unreadable. I pushed through the throngs of people, feeling his eyes on my back the entire time. The cool night air hit me the moment I stepped outside, a welcome relief from the heat of the club. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart.

What was I doing? Why did this stranger have such an effect on me? I didn’t know him, didn’t know anything about him, and yet I couldn’t stop thinking about the way he made me feel—like there was something electric in the air between us, something that pulled me in despite every instinct telling me to stay away.

The door swung open behind me, and I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. His presence was unmistakable, the quiet confidence that seemed to fill the space around him.

“Leaving already?” Fabrizio’s voice was softer now, less commanding but still carrying that same intensity.

I turned to face him, my pulse quickening. He stood just a few feet away, watching me with those dark, unreadable eyes. There was something about the way he looked at me that made me feel exposed, like he could see straight through me. But I wasn’t sure if that scared me or thrilled me.

“I just needed a minute,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt.

Fabrizio stepped closer, closing the gap between us with a slow, deliberate pace. He didn’t touch me, but his proximity made the air feel heavier, charged with an unspoken tension.

“I get it,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper now. “It’s overwhelming in there.”

I nodded, unable to look away from him. My mind was a whirl of conflicting emotions—caution, curiosity, and something else I didn’t want to admit to myself. The way he looked at me made it hard to think straight, and every instinct I had told me to put some distance between us. But my body refused to move.

“You’re different,” he said suddenly, his eyes searching mine.

“Different?” I asked, not sure what he meant.

He tilted his head slightly, studying me with that same focused intensity that had captivated me since the moment I saw him. “Most people… they try to fit in. But you… you stand out. In a good way.”

I didn’t know what to say. His words left me feeling both flattered and unsettled. I had spent most of my life trying to blend in, to keep things simple and in control. I wasn’t used to being noticed like this, especially by someone like him—someone who seemed to see things most people didn’t.

“And what about you?” I asked, feeling the need to shift the conversation away from myself. “You don’t exactly blend in either.”

A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I don’t have to.”

There it was again—that quiet confidence, the certainty that he was in control of every situation. I should’ve found it intimidating, but instead, it made my pulse race.

We stood in silence for a moment, the cool night air swirling around us. The sounds of the city seemed distant now, muted compared to the quiet tension between us. I felt like I was standing on the edge of something—something I didn’t fully understand but couldn’t walk away from.

“I should get back inside,” I said finally, though I wasn’t sure if I believed it.

He nodded, but there was something in his eyes that told me this wasn’t the end of whatever was starting between us. “I’ll see you in there.”

As I turned to walk back into the club, I couldn’t help but glance over my shoulder. He was still watching me, his gaze unwavering, and I knew in that moment that I wasn’t done with Fabrizio. Not yet.